TFL 17.12.05
The Mega-Recap: The gang returned to the White Dragon with the bodies of Senka & Sev. Senka was burried in the cellar, and drinks were had in honor of their fallen comrade, Sev. Ruspbin's ale had an odd odor to it, but it was drank all the same. A bit later his tummy got to growling, at which point Bubbles cast cure poison, and he immediately felt physically better, but was now suspicious. The beer was investigated and found to be normal. The tankards were investigated and poison was detected. Later, Sev was taken to the Necropolis and burried there with a heartfelt tombstone written by the gang. After some various odds & ends, the gang wound up at the Arena, where they observed Jakari Stonehands training her gladiators. She had been expecting them, and used their arrival as a training opportunity. She called upon four of her fighters to face the group. The combat began, and Vantis proceeded to slice open a Half-Orc barbarian and brought him to the brink of death. Ruspbin healed him, to the disgust of Jakari, who saw this fighter as a failure, and therefore not worth saving. Adokal, understanding Jakari's thinking, went to smite him dead, but was restrained by a holy power. Jakari told the gang that she would no longer keep the fighter, and that if they cared so much about him as to heal him and not crush him, they might as well take him, thus did Biff join the group. Jakari proceeded to lead the group to her offices within the arena, where they found a little Elvish girl, Vantis' daughter Pryn. It soon became clear that it was in fact the shape changing crime boss, Chibby Banks. He needed Vantis to believe that his intel was legit, and changed his visage once this was accomplished. Jakari and Chibby offer the group a mission: sail to Otera as an envoy of Jakari, infiltrate Rot-Shanks fleet, board the Hell Hound, and kill the Pirate King. In doing so, they could rescue Pryn, gain 10,000 GP per adventurer, and suplant Rot-Shanks. In so doing, Jakari looks to take over that portion of the Chimera, and gain a vast amount of fortune and power in the process. Everybody wins. The gang says they need two days to prepare, Jakari informs them that a ship called the Electric Eel will be ready for them. They head back to the Dragon, where Salta stops by to see if Ruspbin is still planning on celebrating the Festival of Blades with her, he informs her that he has made other plans, and she leaves, both angry and sad. Biff, goes straight to bed to heal, and sleeps through the rest of the night. Other's eventually retire as well, including Ruspbin. While he's sleeping, he begins to experience excruciating, agonizing pain in the arm that recently lost a hand. His shrieks rouse the group, they investigate, and find that his stump is now angry, red, swollen and seems to have something pressing out from underneath the skin. They heal him and try to help him, but nobody really knows what's happening, only that it seems incredibly painful. Over the course of the night, bones break through the skin, and continue to grow and develop until, ultimately, he has a full skeleton hand with dark, charred looking bones. It's fully functional, if still something of a ghastly mystery. The next day they attempt to investigate the source of this dark magic, but discover very little. In the process, Ruspbin is pick-pocketed. Vantis and Adokul try to catch the theif, but the swift street rat gets away. Once everybody makes it back to the Dragon, Biff awakes, and they all get to know each other better. They also want to see what Biff can do, and decide to address the Gadrien contract. They go looking for Snips, don't find him, but put out word that they're looking. They meet with Crudely and Dash, mostly just visiting but getting a little intel as well. It's a merry reunion. Adokal and Bubbles seek out cut-purses, Adokal doesn't turn anything up, but Bubbles spots one and follows him to an ally, where he seems to disappear into a crate. Back at the Dragon again, Snips arrives and says Gadrien is being too cautious right now, he won't leave whatever hiding hole he's made home, that the kids are the only ones out and about. If you want to get to Gadrien, Snips suggests you go through the kids, and in order for them to notice you, you should become children yourselves. He was happy to discuss the matter once you parted with some gold. The gang hatches a plot to transmutate themselves into children accept for Ruspbin, who only needs to change his face, and Adokul, who will be the "victim" of a staged thieving. If they can attract the attention of Gadrien's minions, they hope they can discover his whereabouts. The plan works out, one of the street rats pops out after the kid gang "flees" from Adokul. He shows them the secret door in the crate leading to the sewers, which eventually lead to Gadrien himself, though not before the gang is ambushed by a bunch of the child thieves. It's clear they're not trusted, but the group convinces the kids that they're on the level, and they make it to Gadrien's chamber. They say they're ready to join his forces, and offer to prove themselves worthy. Gadrien wants to send one of his best kids, the girl called Stash. Will they be able to convince Gadrien of their worth? Will they try to take him out? Will they want to deliver him alive or dead? To the Constabulary, or to Chibby Banks? We'll find out next session! Monday, my place?